Wales metaverse is European first, say organisers
From ancient ruins to striking landscapes, Wales has a long list of attractions that help to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
Now a new immersive experience means people can visit some of the country’s best-known sights without ever stepping foot in Wales – although it is hoped it will inspire tourists to visit.
Visitors to the metaverse can walk around a virtual island, which includes a castle that also has a map of Wales, as well as a cable car – inspired by the one at Llandudno, Conwy county - where people can travel from one side of the other metaverse to the other.
It is the work of Welsh government tourism agency Visit Wales, which said it makes the nation the first European country to “take this innovative approach to advertising itself”.
They can also take part in “quests”, including collecting dragons hidden across the virtual island, as well as building a virtual interactive itinerary drawn from real-life places to stay and visit.
The metaverse means that instead of being on a computer, you might use a headset to enter a virtual world connecting all sorts of digital environments.
Broadcaster Steffan Powell, who hosted a virtual launch event for the product, said the metaverse experience will “give potential visitors a flavour of all the exciting things you can see and do on a holiday in Wales”.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to promote Wales to the world and an innovative way to potentially open millions of sets of eyes to the beauty of Cymru,” he said.
About 600 million people a year use metaverse platforms, according to Visit Wales, and Tourism Minister Hannah Blythyn said the aim of the initiative is to “reach new audiences – wherever they may be in the world – and inspire them to visit our awesome nation for real”.
“By showcasing some of the best Wales has to offer visitors in this incredibly innovative way, we’re putting Wales in an online sphere where millions of people meet every day,” she said.
The metaverse has been brought to life in partnership with iCreate, a Swansea-based metaverse creator.
“Our aim is to bring the endless possibilities of Wales to life in an immersive experience of exploration, helping audiences plan their dream itinerary in Wales while they complete mini-quests in the metaverse experience,” said Dawn Lyle, the iCreate founder.